Study about Vidaza vs Dacogen

[Birgitta-A]

Hi all,
It is several months since I read that they were going to try to study which patients that have best response when they get Vidaza and which patients that respond better when they get Dacogen. Now the study starts:
http://methodchilds.slowawsieci.pl/2009/07/12/first-head-to-head-study-comparing-dacogenr-decitabine-for-injection-and-vidazar-azacitidine-in-patients-with-myelodysplastic-syndromes/
Kind regards
Birgitta-A

[helen c.]

my husband has been on vidaza since jan.08 in oct.08 he had complete response so vidaza was stiooed and he went on watch and wait until jan.09 , labs showed that red blood cells , white cells and platlets were falling after bmb he was back on vidaza for 2 cycles but counts were too low for treatment in march and april so another bmb and that showed just 8% blasts so vidaza again may and june and also tranfusion dependant since april was every 2 weeks and beginning middle may every week also platlets now about every 3 weeks also deseferol for iron it should be time for next round of vidaza but this was his counts as of mon july 06 wbc 2.3 rbc 2.50 hgb7.9 hct21.9 platelet 34 his platelets go anywhere from 10 to mid 30s

[Birgitta-A]

Hi Helen,
Have your husband asked if he could try some other treatment than Vidaza when he doesn't really respond any longer?

With so low platelets he should avoid everything that could possibly decrease platelets - you have probably seen the warning list from the ITP-forum:
http://www.pdsa.org/itp-information/itp-warnings.html
Kind regards
Birgitta-A

[helen c.]

we are seeing the dr. next mon. the 20th this is todays results wbc 2.9 rbc 3.04 hgb 9.5 hct 26.7 platelet 54 woohoo so no transfusion this week. segs are 35 and lymphs 58 neutrophil 1.0 on platelet morphology few hypogranular platlets most platelets are small in size few large platelets rare platelet clumping few bizarre platelets rbc morphology roulraux noted anisocytosis 1+ macrocytes 1+ microcytes 1+ polychromasia1+ polkilocytosis 1+ ovalocytes fewteardrop cells few wbc morphology blast cells noted reactive lymphs few hypogranular segs few dohle bodies few also abnormal chrmosone 3 this is long but we want to ask a lot of questions and make an informed decsion

[Birgitta-A]

Hi Helen,
Hgb has increased from 7.9 to 9.5, wbc from 2.3 to 2.9, neutrophils are very low - 1.0 (look out for infections!) and platelets from 10-35 to 54. Perhaps Vidaza is still OK. You know Desferal as all iron chelators can give increased Hgb.
Kind regards
Birgitta-A